title: Bone scan and chemonucleolysis.
abstract: This study is based on 20 patients who underwent bone scanning before and after chemonucleolysis (CN) for a herniated lumbar disk. It shows that chymopapain, the proteolytic enzyme used for CN, does not induce early or late bone lesions of the adjacent vertebral plates. Abnormal uptake by one of the vertebral plates indicates a "chemical discitis." The pattern observed on the bone scan is different from the one presented by patients with bacterial spondylitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Institut Jean Godinot, Reims, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amico
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Eschard
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Liehn
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Valeyre
mesh_terms: D002917:Chymopapain / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015299:Discitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007404:Intervertebral Disc Chemolysis; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging
chemical_list: D002917:Chymopapain